I've put on a full stone since having a small stroke, and I can't work out why, as my eating and exercise habits have not really changed. I gave always had a weight which my body seems to gravitate towards, and this has really gone up in the last year.
Strangely enough, I Iost half a stone during my five days in hospital and my liver fat count went down so that I was virtually cured of my Type 2 diabetes! I have maintained this weight loss 10 months later and tend to have smaller portions. The only negative aspect of this result of my stroke is that I had some muscle wastage, which I haven't made up again.
I actually lost a stone during my six weeks in hospital and had muscle wastage, especially on my weak side. I have put a little weight on but now eat smaller portions and have a diet of meat, fish, vegetarian. I am diabetic and inject, but my cholesterol has gone down and I rarely have to get up at night to pee. I go to three exercise classes a weak and my strength, balance and muscle tone are now quite good for my age (75).
I lost a stone in the fist 3 weeks, I’m eating less & trying to be careful as I should really loose another one & a half stone. Finding it hard to loose more. I’m now trying to be more active but struggle with post stroke fatigue & need a sleep each day also a bad back which is made worse by walking. Must be strong and keep going.
You dont need a massive amount of exercise. That can come later. Just some euivalent to walking etc in between the needs to sleep. Hope you are giving your brain lots of water which in turn will ease the appetite etc. I monitor my weight weekly and I am edging down one pound at a time. As you rightly say, we must keep going.
Colin
Thank you Colin. I’m now struggling really bad with the fatigue, it seems to have got worse?! It’s so debilitating! My mood has dropped and I’m quite weepy, not helped by having to have my old cat put to sleep?. I feel abandoned and alone by all services?. I feel I just need some support but don’t know where to look for it. Any ideas?
Dear Burnmoor
I have just written you a posting that took me 40 minutes to write. And instead of winging its way to you, it has just disappeared. I am very upset.
Perhaps I will try again tomorrow.
Colin
Dear Burnmoor
SF shouldn’t be getting worse. It usually gets ever so slightly less each week. Yes we get bad days but over months you should notice the improvement. Your brain needs rest and water.
The emotionality is common. Very hard for the girls and a real shock to the system for us boys. We don’t cry. Well we do now ! My emotionality just slowly got better without me doing anything. After 3+ years it is OK but I haven’t yet managed a funeral. Thats on the bucket list.
I feel for you about your cat. My cat adopted us two years ago and I love him to pieces. I would do anything for him. I have just spent a lot of time making him a den for the garage. I finished it just an hour ago. Cavity walls, cloth wallpaper and a few inches off the floor. And fitted carpet.
Sooty came to us when he was cold, wet and hungry. He now allows us to share his bungalow. and he gives me something to live for. When I awake with pain and discomfort, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I know he will be waiting at the kitchen door. He is lovely. A big cat and not at all pretty. His claws could do serious damage and his teeth are quite frightening. But he hasn’t scratched nor bitten us. And he never uses the house as a toilet. He is nocturnal. Dare I say that perhaps you could take in a cat that wants to adopt you ? I never had any pets pre stroke, but we become different people after a stroke.
Yes we are abandoned by the authorities. I felt as though I had been on a big ship for the first six weeks, then I was lowered in to a rowing boat and left in the middle of the Pacific ocean.
I get a lot of benefit from a (free) relax group and recently I am paying a very small weekly fee for simple, gentle yoga aimed at people like me. It is wonderful. I always hoped, indeed expected, to meet with a fellow stroke survivor but it hasn’t happened. My stroke group is brilliant, like being wrapped in a warm blanket, but it is too far away for me to comfortably drive. The stroke association is good and I recommend you to ring them. Regret that they don’t cover my part of the country and my local group is a charitable alternative. Counselling helps a lot, although it has to be a stroke specialist and they are not easy to find.
For help groups etc try looking at your GP surgery or even asking the staff. Also consider your local church. They are amazing sources of all sorts of help and advice.
Do ensure that you don’t let depression get you. Your GP can give you medication but it delays your recovery even longer. Depressive waves seem to be a comon feature of a stroke, fight them off, dont let the depression in.
Smile a lot
Be positive
Lots of us are out here for you
Colin
hi I too had the same issue, it has been two years since my stroke and nearly 2 & half stone on! I have been seeing the dietician at my doctors for the last 6 weeks and have lost 1 stone so far, but it is now getting harder, as going without all thats bad is hard work. I have not been so good the last couple of weeks so think I will have put on, but that will make me get back on track. My problem is not being able to do as much. Wendy
same here but seemed to ha reversed the trend now. initially I thing weight loss was due to muscle atrophy. in hospital I was eating three meals a day and doing nothing but lost weight. that was a long time ago now. I am three years post stroke now. I had some issues with my teeth, not stroke related and I think some lingering weakness in my facial muscles, both of which affect normal eating. I used to be very fond of salad, but can't manage much of it now. taste has been affected and there are foods I don't enjoy any more. I am more active now as mobility is improving but muscles are still very weak. I don't enjoy food as I used to, but my appetite has come back, so beginning to return to a weight that is more normal for me, after 3 years. I was puzzled and amused by hospital dieticians who urged me to eat more fatty foods. so for the first time ever my waist has expanded I was always a skinny bloke. so I suppose some of it is down to changes in activity, some down to changes in eating function. I have not had any information regarding neurological changes to do with taste etc, but my experience is that there has been a slight change in the way things taste.also since I can't cook any more, yet, left arm and hand are not functional I can't make food the way I used to, and the way I like it, though I was never a good cook, I did have my eccentric preferences.
sorry for rambling a bit, and thanks for your post, hadn't thought much about it until now
Sogood luck and bon apetit
best wishes
Tony
Sorry for the late reply, I have also started to put some weight back on, slowly though .
Have had 2 other strokes since my original in December last year . In fact I am just out of hospital again ? hopefully things will be better for me in the future .
You weren’t rambling, it was good reading your message, helps a lot . Thank you ??
I haven't put on weight, it's just all my clothes have shrunk, thank goodness I was learning to to sew before I had my stroke ?, they tell you salts not good for you and I didn't know why till this summer when I read that pouring salt on the weeds on the driveway would kill them, also pouring salt on the slugs bumps them off, but it was when I noticed that where the salt lay the slabs were wet and only where the salt was, and I think the salt draws the moisture from the air and that was enough to convince me not to use salt any more, and I used to salt everything!!.... Food tastes horrible but at least I will be healthier?
Deep breath and keep padding ?
thanks and sorry to hear about the recent strokes, I hope that the damage is not severe and that you can start rebuilding your life now you are out of hospital.
Tony
Hi Colin, it's so lovely to read your mail. It's been a long time in coming...I kind of gave up for quite a while and felt nothing helped me feel any better...(feeling sorry for myself)! I have just logged in & seen your very kind reply.
im happy to say now it's 12 months since my stroke I'm in a much better place. I began to pick up and the fatigue began to ease in the lead up to Christmas. Very slow as you said, I just began to find that I didn't need to go back to bed in the Afternoon every day or sleep for as long. My stamina began improving too. I began to enjoy living again. I still know it's knocked the stuffing out of me but know I'm on the right track. By January I began getting out and about a bit with hubby, friends or one of our 3 daughters. Unfortunately the end of January I began with a UTI, I got antibiotics for it& assumed I'd soon be well. Unfortunately it didn't work out like that. After a month I finished up in hospital for 5 days but came home as bad as when I went in, they kept testing my urine & it showed I kept getting different infection, some of which were resistive to almost all antibiotics. In all I had 8 different lots. It completely wiped me out & took me right back to my stroke recovery early days. I was just beginning to feel better & the flipping Covid19 started. I feel like I've completely lost the last 12 months and became worried again about my mental health.
In December we lost our old dog, a few months after the cat, I was devastated?! We picked up a 6 week old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy up 4 days before Christmas. He has been hard work but as one of my daughters says he has been good for both myself and hubby. He motivates me to get up in a morning and to get out a short walk with him. We live in the countryside so feel very lucky at this awful time of isolation. We live on the edge of a village so just walk up the road, up the mountain behind us or through fields or over the open common up the hill from us. We are so thankful for where we live at the best of times but especially at this time. I'm now feeling much more positive, during my last illness I lost another stone in weight plus a stone following my stroke. I contacted a nutritionist who recommended trying to go gluten free to see if it helped my urine syptoms. I have cut back a lot although not completely. She also recommended eating meals that are more plant based pus lots of seeds and nuts for fibre. I have Greek yogurt with seeds and berries for breakfast or a mushroom omelette with tomatoes. For lunch it's usually a big sals with seeds & nuts plus cheese or meat, no carbs. For my evening meal I usually eat normally...whatever we would usually be eating. I certainly feel much better for it. I am a Christian so do feel there is hope in these dark times of Covid 19. I look to a brighter future on the health front. I've just had my latest Cholesterol & it's down to 3.5..amazing. I'm diabetic & my bloods are much better too.
I hope you are keeping well at this time and still enjoying you cat. Thank goodness for our furry friends!
Take care & stay safe
Elaine x?
I had my stroke 2 weeks ago and came out of hospital on Friday. I have recovered a lot of feeling but am left with right sided weakness. It was the most scary thing ever. However I was told about this site, and am grateful. The advice about drinking more water is very helpful and I’ll be starting that today. Best wishes to everyone.
Dear Goldy
You might wish to keep wiggling/moving all your fingers, toes and anything else. Sometimes the brain has to be reminded about bits of you that arent fully working. The brain is very busy, finding ways to work around the damage. When its doing that, it will be boiling like a cauldren, so the extra water is highly desireable. The brain doesnt feel anything, so it cant ask for water. It just takes it from other parts of your body. I hate drinking extra water, but its a small price to pay if you get a better recovery.
Best wishes
Colin
Hi Adrianne
understand your feeling on not losing weight. I have always struggled but since stroke on 6 March has been worse. I am doing ww online and do tai chi in morning and try to walk at least half hour each day. I have read that drinking more water helps and cut down on the caffeine. I have always tried to eat healthy and so frustrated in not losing. I get to lose pound then it goes on again. Have no energy either but have been told this is normal one bad day one good. Keep persevering and I will let you know if the water and caffeine drop helps. So frustrating when some people can lose quickly. Cant complain as have almost full use of right side of body again. Doing exercises rigidly every day has helped. Good luck wih progress
Rita
Hi Goldy
Hope your recovery goes well. I had stroke 9 weeks ago and have recovered full use of right side again from perseverance with all the arm hand feet exercises every day. Still get extremely tired but forum tellls me this is normal, good days and bad days. Try to walk as much as I can even if I have to use my stick. Sometimes hand is weak on some days but I understand this is what happened. Trying to lose the weight as bp fairly under control but cant take any statins or equivalent either so do the best I c an. Good luck with progress!
Rita
I am coming up to 74, male, do all the housework at home, including cooking. I had my stroke Aug 2017, I still have a slight weakness, & can't remember the word I want at times. I have not used salt, in or on my food, so I can taste what I am eating now. If anyone wants salt they can add it when I serve up, the only times I have it is when the meal has, baked beans, egg, or on fish & chips, & the only oil I use is rapeseed, I don't like olive oil, to me it smells & tastes like diesel.
The thing that convinced me was a TV program I saw in 1984, just after I divorced my 1st wife, who smothered everything in salt, sugar, &/or oil... It took a little getting used to, in one hit but after 2 weeks I felt a lot better & still do.
Thanks Rita. I’m back walking and nearly back to normal in most things. I hope your recovery will improve every day.